Trans X

Trans-X was a Canadian synth-pop duo that formed in 1981. Their track 'Living On Video' became a defining song of the early 80s electronic scene, with its pulsing rhythm and detached vocal delivery cutting through the radio static of the time. The song's simple, repetitive structure and video-game synth lines gave it an immediate, almost architectural presence that felt both futuristic and oddly accessible.

Their debut album 'Message from the Stars' arrived in 1983, built around the core of Steve Thomas's vocals and Michael Campbell's synth arrangements. The record didn't try to hide its mechanical nature, the drum machines clicked along with a kind of cheerful precision, and the synthesizers buzzed and whirred without apology. Tracks like '3d Dance' followed a similar blueprint, all clean lines and unadorned electronic textures.

For a while there, Trans-X's sound felt like it was everywhere, then it receded as quickly as it had arrived. What's left is that handful of songs that still sound exactly like themselves, no matter what year it is.